California's Department of Justice will oversee a Sacramento police investigation into the shooting death of Stephon Clark, a suspect who reportedly led two officers on a foot pursuit, refused police commands to show his hands, and was shot and killed because officers thought he had a gun. A cellphone was found at the scene after the shooting and it apparently was mistaken for a gun by the officers.
Speaking at a news conference, state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn announced the agreement Tuesday.
"I have complete confidence in my detectives, but due to the nature of this investigation, the extremely high emotion, anger and hurt in our city, I felt it was in the best interest of our entire community, including the members of our Police Department," Hahn said. "Our city is at a critical point right now, and I believe this will help build faith and confidence."
The agreement calls for the state Justice Department to play two roles: to provide independent oversight into the investigation into the shooting of Stephon Clark and to review Sacramento's police training and policies on the use of force.
Clark's killing has sparked days of protests in Sacramento, the Los Angeles Times reports. Activists and Clark's family are calling for criminal charges against the involved officers.
